Why e-commerce will never completely replace brick-and-mortar shopping
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Why e-commerce will never completely supervene upon brick-and-mortar shopping
According to retail veteran Simon Naga, who handles brands like Reebok and Zara locally, Singaporeans might exist a tech-savvy lot, but they too enjoy the offline experience.
Simon Naga is the VP of Al-Futtaim Asia (Retail). (Photo: Al-Futtaim)
23 May 2022 06:30AM (Updated: 04 Jul 2022 05:22PM)
When Simon Naga outset moved from Dubai to Singapore in 2022 to get Managing Managing director of Inditex brands – which includes fast fashion favourites like Zara, Pull&Bear and Massimo Dutti – the very kickoff thing he did was to instruct his team not to let anyone know he had arrived. The very side by side matter he did, was to go shopping. For iii whole weeks.
"I wanted to check out all our stores personally, without anyone knowing who I was yet," said Naga, who has 18 years' experience in fashion retail. "And I wanted to see what our competitors were up to."
In January this yr, he was appointed VP of Al-Futtaim Asia (Retail), overseeing not merely Inditex, but also department stores Marks & Spencer and Robinsons; multi-brand retailers like Royal Sporting House; also as fashion, lifestyle and sports labels such as Aape, Coast, Karl Lagerfeld, Nautica, Oasis, Reebok and Ted Baker, among others.
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This essentially made him the head honcho of Singapore'south largest fashion retail distributor, whose job involves getting inside the head of the Singapore shopper.
"The Singapore shopper is very fashion-forward, and very demanding," he said. "For example, recently, I noticed that in that location was a bestselling drove from a certain brand (not nether Al-Futtaim), which sold very well everywhere, except in Singapore."
According to Naga, Singaporean shoppers are less probable to buy an entire trend elevation-to-toe, unlike, say, shoppers in Thailand.
"Singaporeans like to mix and match, and they adopt summery items that can be worn throughout the twelvemonth while still referencing the latest seasonal trends," he noted. "It's most impossible as most brands cater to four seasons, simply we work effectually it by speaking directly to the brands we distribute about the specific needs of this market, which serves as the manner hub for all of Southeast Asia. We ask our brands to specifically design and produce items suited for Singapore, even if it'southward in smaller quantities that their factories are used to producing."
And while Singaporeans are a tech-savvy lot who shop online often, they also similar the brick-and-mortar experience.
"After all, Singaporeans dear going out to encounter friends and have fun; they like eating out, and if they're headed to a restaurant, chances are, they'll accept the opportunity to store too," said Naga, who admitted that he does not shop online.
"The Singapore shopper is very mode-forward, and very enervating. Singaporeans like to mix and match, and they prefer summery items that tin can be worn throughout the yr while nevertheless referencing the latest seasonal trends." – Simon Naga, Al-Futtaim Asia
"To me, nothing beats the pleasure of heading out to the stores, and seeing, touching and trying before I purchase. And I know for certain that there are many, many other shoppers similar me. That's why I believe offline shopping isn't going to disappear someday soon; rather, I come across online and offline shopping as completing each other, rather than competing with each other."
According to Naga, online sales business relationship for only 5 per cent of Al-Futtaim's Singapore acquirement. As such, his focus remains on drawing customers into his stores, "by creating a great offline experience, in terms of innovative store concepts, attractive visual merchandising, first-class customer service, special shopping privileges for loyal shoppers, then on".
Referring to stalwart shopping destination Robinsons, which has established a business firm reputation for its customer service, he asks rhetorically: "Your typical department shop here carries between 800 to i,000 brands, many of which are available at other department stores. What makes shoppers come to us, over our competitors, when we are all essentially selling the same items and brands?"
The reply might just lie in how he engages external consultants to produce regular detailed Mystery Shopper reports that cover annihilation and everything from whether the windows were spotless, whether sales staff were polite, knowledgeable and pro-active in cross-selling, whether the plumbing equipment rooms were well-staffed and pleasantly outfitted, if the cashier bade customers good day, and so on.
"These days, the main trends in retail is 'anything but bones' and 'making customers feel good'," he explained. "It's about the experience. Peradventure twenty years ago shoppers loved the thought of stores stocking lots of products. These days, information technology's more nearly how you put things together; it's virtually selling ideas. You always have to call back of ways to explain retail to the new generation, in means they pay attending to. So of course, these days we're big on social media and influencers as marketing channels, rather than just relying on newspapers and magazines and in-store mode shows."
Asked to recount some of his favourite contempo examples of innovative marketing executed by the brands under his care, Naga cites a Zara campaign concluding yr that made use of Augmented Reality that was employed across outlets 313@Somerset, Ion Orchard, Marina Bay Sands and Ngee Ann City stores over a flow of iv weeks.
"To me, nil beats the pleasure of heading out to the stores, and seeing, touching and trying before I buy. And I know for sure that at that place are many, many other shoppers like me." – Simon Naga, Al-Futtaim Asia
The Spanish fast fashion make'due south store windows appeared completely empty, salve signs encouraging shoppers to download and employ the Zara AR app, and train their smartphones on a QR code – upon which holographs of models Lea Julian and Fran Summers pose, motion around and even speak while dressed in the SS18 Zara Studio collection. Shoppers could also take and transport photos alongside the holograms. The clothes and accessories could be purchased instantly through the app, also as in store. Online shoppers also received their appurtenances in boxes bearing the same code, which, when activated, would crusade a miniature hologram model to walk effectually the box.
More recently, in conjunction with the opening of Spanish loungewear and lingerie make Oysho's concept store ( a contempo addition to Al-Futtaim's portfolio) at Jewel Changi Airport, 70 customers were treated, over iii sessions, to a yoga class conducted inside Jewel'south lush indoor landscaping, before a VIP store visit.
Only Naga says that one thing that hasn't changed, despite technological innovations and evolving tastes of consumers, and despite the fact that Al-Futtaim's brands carry products "for customers aged 1 month and above", is that "ultimately, women yet form the bulk of our shoppers. The same goes for retail, as it does at habitation: If you don't make the woman happy, you're in for a hard time."
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Source: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/people/online-offline-shopping-in-singapore-239711
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